What to Expect

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Phone: 1-888-478-4004

From the moment you register for an excursion with Alpine Adventure Trails Tours, you have direct access to your lead guide that handles all aspects of your Alps experience before and during your trip.

Guests are picked up and dropped off at the airport or train station depending on your travel plans. Accommodations are at 4-star and 3-star superior hotels—all rooms with private bath. Breakfasts are buffet with a wide array of items depending on the hotel. Most include cheeses, meats, cereals, bread, yogurt, fruit, eggs, bacon, juices, coffee, tea, hot chocolate. Dinners are gourmet Swiss and European cuisine. We are also happy to make arrangements for special dietary requirements. Lunch we have at huts or mountain restaurants. A pic-nic option is also available.

We take First Class coaches on train when transferring between villages. An important part of the Switzerland experience is enjoying their trains. First Class coaches are never crowded allowing you to relax and enjoy the passing scenery.

We also provide help with arrangements if you will be in Switzerland before or after your time with us. This includes hotel reservations in Zurich, meeting you at airport even if you fly in a day early, taking you to the airport if you stay an extra night in Zurich, provide train schedules, provide recommendations for places to see and any other assistance we can offer.

With your trip there are free days when we do not hike. We are happy to make arrangements for other activities.

Our hikes are structured to provide options for all abilities. Each day, you have a choice of easy, moderate or strenuous hikes. Options are presented before dinner. Most hikes conclude in the late afternoon, leaving time to explore the village, followed by an evening of fine dining and camaraderie in the comforts of the hotel.

Easy Hike: 4-7 miles, 0-1500 feet of elevation gain

Moderate Hike: 7-12 miles, 2000 to 3000 feet of elevation gain

Strenuous Hike: 7-16 miles, 3000 to 5000 feet of elevation gain

If you can’t do an entire tour there is the option to do a portion of the trip (call or email for details)

Accommodations

Forty years of organizing and leading hikers in the rugged, pristine Alps has taught us that hiking is just one part of the journey. Accommodations are just as important. To make your visit to the Alps as comfortable as possible, we have selected family-owned and operated inns, each with its own unique charm. All of our selected inns in Switzerland and Austria are three and four-star rated, and offer private baths, superior European cuisine, and friendly staff. We take great pride in our selection of accommodations and have built long-lasting relationships with the owners of our inns.

Things to Do When You Are Not Hiking

Each week of a tour has scheduled free time when we do not hike, allowing you the opportunity explore on your own. Tours lasting six nights have one free day; 12-night tours offer two free days. Switzerland and Austria both have great public transportation systems. Trains, buses, cable cars, and boats make it easy and convenient to travel to areas we do not visit as a group. Upon registration, you will receive information on things to see and do, and we will gladly assist with free-day plans before and during your trip.

Each guest on our Switzerland hiking trips receives a Swiss Rail Pass, which allows unlimited travel on Swiss public trains, buses, and boats. The pass is also valid for discounts on gondolas, cable cars, and admission to museums. In Austria, guests receive local travel cards that allow free travel on local trains, buses, and cable cars. For guests who will remain in Switzerland or Austria before or after their hiking tour, we can extend the duration of the pass at a greatly reduced price.

Tour Details

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Phone: 1-478-714-0829

Transfer & Ground Transportation

All transportation with the group in Switzerland and Austria and Scotland is covered in the trip cost plus all luggage.

Baggage Handling

ONE (1) piece of luggage per person will be transported from the clearance of customs at the Zurich, Munich or Edinburg airports to the day of departure. A second suitcase may be transported at a charge of $70, however a second suitcase is strongly discouraged.

Meals

Breakfast and dinner are included in the tour package. Typical breakfast items include fresh breads, croissants, pastries, assorted cheeses, fruits, meats, cereals, coffee, and juices. All our family-run inns take great pride in the preparation and presentation of fabulous meals that feature a variety of local and European cuisine. Guests who request a vegetarian dining experience will be pleasantly surprised by the creativity of our chefs.

Lunches are taken at small mountain inns and tearooms. Our guests are usually astonished by the variety and quality of the food that may be enjoyed in these remote retreats. Lunch is not included in the tour cost. Guests should budget approximately $20-$40 U.S. per day for lunch. A picnic option is also possible.

Tour Escort-Guide

Your tour escort will meet you after clearing customs at the Zurich, Munich or Edinburg airports, and will escort you again when checking-in for your flight home.

Price Does Not Include:

Airfare and airport taxes

Passport expenses

Lunches and snacks

Excess baggage charges

Items not on the regular menu

Travel independent from group or on free-days

Entertainment not included in the itinerary

Health, accident or baggage insurance

Optional gratuities to hotel staff and assistant guides

Tour Insurance

Insurance is available and encouraged to cover such items as baggage, emergency evacuation, health, accident, and trip cancellation. A descriptive brochure will be sent to each tour member after booking.

Passports

All tour members must have valid passports. Your passport must be valid for at least 90 days after your arrival date in Switzerland or Austria. No visa or vaccinations are required for U.S. citizens.

Cancellations

Cancellations must be received in writing to Alpine Adventure Trails Tours, Inc. There is a cancellation charge of $150 for cancellations received up to 60 days prior to departure, a $350 charge up to 33 days before departure. If a cancellation is made fewer than 33 days prior to departure, we will refund up to 50% of the tour cost less, rail ticket expenses, hotel penalties, and credit card fees. There is no refund for unused tour portions.

Responsibility

Alpine Adventure Trails Tours, Inc. or its agents act only in the capacity of agent for the passengers, tour members, in all matters pertaining to travel or accommodations whether by plane, rail, bus, boat, cable car, chairlift or any other means of conveyance. They shall not be liable for injury, damage or loss occasioned by neglect or default of any company or person engaged in conveying the tour, any hotel proprietor, car rental organization or other persons supplying services or materials in connection with the tour. Alpine Adventure Trails Tours, Inc. reserves the right to withdraw a tour or make changes to the published itinerary at any point should conditions warrant, or if deemed necessary for the comfort, convenience or safety of the tour guests. Alpine Adventure Trails Tours, Inc. is the principal and is coordinating the ground arrangements for all accommodations, services, and programs as constituting the tours. The tour participant waives any claim against the tour operator for any damages to or loss of property, delays, acts of God, injury or death of persons, substitution of equipment, beyond the control of the tour operator.